Toy wind wheel



May 21, 1929. F. J. DICK 1,714,419

TOY WIND WHEEL Filed 00:. 11', 1928 fly v 5 jwwwru Fran/i Bic/t Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES,

FRANK J. DICK, or onn'ron, OHIO.

TOY WIND WHEEL.

Application filed October 11, 1928.

The invention relates to Wind wheels, and more particularly to a wind Wheel especially adapted for use in connection with mechanical toys.

In the past, various forms of mechanical toys have been operated by wind wheels, and no claim is made broadly to the use of a wind wheel for such purposes.

However, it has been found that in the constructions of such wheels, now in use, there is a tendency for. the wheels to quickly lose their efliciency because of bending of the flights or vanes in use.

The fact that the wheels are used upon toys makes it impractical to put very great expense into the manufacture and construction of the wheel, and requires that an inexpensive structure, quickly and easily assembled, be produced.

The object of the present improvement is to provide a simple and inexpensive wind wheel which may be easily and readily manufactured and which will have suflicient rigidity to prevent distortion of the flights or vanes, with normal use of the wheel.

The above and other objects may be attained by stamping the wheel from a single sheet of light. gauge metal, or the like, each flight having a radial notch inv its peripheral edge, a split ring of wire or the like, being located around the peripheral portion of the wheel and seated in the radial notches in the flights, said ring being provided at its ends with projections, which may be formed as by bending the ends of the ring inward, said projections engagingopposite sides of one of the flights to hold the ring in position.

The ringwill substantially fit within the notches, in the flights, thus holding the flights rigidly in position at the proper or desired angle to the normal plane of the wheel and preventing distortion of the flights under ordinary use.

An embodiment of the invention, thus briefly set forth in general terms, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved wind wheel;

Fig. 2, an edge elevation of the wheel; and

Fig. 3, a detached elevation of the wire ring for holding the flights in rigid condition.

Serial No. 311,883.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The improved wind wheel, to which the invention pertains, is stamped from a single sheet disk of light gauge metal or the like, the radial slits 10 extending from points spaced from the center to the peripheral edge of the disk, forming the flights 11 between adjacent. slits.

The central hub portion 12 of the disk may have any suitable kind of hub attached thereto, such as the hub disk 13, provided with angular legs 14, attached to the central portion of the disk in any usual and well known manner. I

The shaft 15, which is arranged to be operatively connected to the toy, to be operated by the wheel, is attached to the central portion of the wheel disk, and to the hub 13, as by providing the flattened or squared end 16 upon the shaft for engagement through Islirrgilarly shaped apertures in the disk and u A radial notch 17 is centrally located in the peripheral edge portion of each of the flights and if desired, the outer end' of each notch may be flared or beveled as shown at 18, to permit of easily inserting the wire ring 19 into'the notches.

In assembling the wheel, the flights are first twisted, or bent, at the desired angle to the normal plane of the wheel disk and the wire ring is then inserted into the notches,

at the peripheral edges of the several flights,

wheel.

From the above it will be obvious that a simple and inexpensive wheel may be pro-- duced, which will be sufficiently strong and rigid to meet the requirements for which it is intended.

I claim:

1. A wind wheel including a plurality of" flights located at an angle to the normal plane of the wheel and provided with radial notches in their peripheral edges, and a split split ring located around the peripheral portion of the Wheel and seated in said notches, 10 the ends of the ring being angularly bent and engaging opposite sides of one flight.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRANK J. DICK. 

